Edible Apple

Adding to a chorus of reports pointing to Apple releasing an iPad with a smaller form factor, the New York Times this weekend, citing sources familiar with Apple’s plans, reported that a 7.85-inch iPad is in the works.

What’s more, and perhaps not terribly surprising, the Times makes a point of noting that this new miniaturized iPad will retail for “significantly less” than the base model $499 iPad.

Apple’s plan for a tablet with a smaller screen is part of a textbook business strategy: to lure customers who want different sizes of tablets into the iPad product family, say analysts and technology industry executives.

The strategy would most likely include devices with different prices and functions tailored to various uses, they say. The idea is to help Apple solidify its dominance in the tablet market even as the richest companies in the tech business are trying to figure out how to outflank Apple.

Some previous reports have suggested that an iPad Mini, assuming that’s the name Apple goes with, could retail from anywhere between $199 and $249.

Since Apple appears to be going after the lower end of the market and targeting devices like the Kindle Fire and the Nexus 7 from Google/Asus, it stands to reason that Apple would price its iPad Mini quite aggressively to prevent competitors from gaining further traction in the marketplace.

Lastly, other reports have noted that Apple will release the rumored iPad Mini sometime this Fall, before the busy holiday shopping season of course.

The Japanese Mac Blog Macotakara is reporting that Apple’s fifth-gen iPhone has already put into production in China.

MacRumors adds:

For reference, Macotakara also cited similar sources when they reported that the iPad 3 first went into production in January 2012. The lead time between production and launch for the iPad 3 was approximately two months with an official launch date of March 16th, 2012. That could suggest that we could see the new iPhone as early as September, though the production timelines for the iPad and iPhone may differ significantly.

9to5mac reports that a Russian hacker has devised a way to enable users to download in-app purchases from the iTunes App Store for free, all without requiring a device be jailbroken.

The hack appears to have come from Russian developer ZonD80 who posted the above video demonstration. ZonD80 also appears to run a website called In-AppStore.com where donations are being accepted to support the development of the project and help keep servers up and running. The developer explained the three steps of the hack, which include the installation of CA certificate, the installation of in-appstore.com certificate, and the changing of DNS record in wi-fi settings. After the quick process, users are presented with the message pictured above when installing in-app purchases, opposed to Apple’s usual purchase confirmation dialog.

Gigaom drops some interesting nuggets detailing the history behind Apple’s massive 500,000 square foot data center in Maiden, North Carolina.

Economic development officials in Catawba County, and a data center development group, had been talking with Apple for months to get the company interested in setting up its data center in town. Then the developer spent months making sure that an abandoned mill building — a remnant of the region’s days as a vibrant textile manufacturing area — would be ready to house the new facility.

But as Apple executives got closer to making a decision, they suddenly decided that the building was just too small. It looked like Apple was going to have to go elsewhere for its massive 500,000 square-foot iCloud data center.

However, the county had one more shot: Just three miles down the road, it had been developing a 180-acre park that they envisioned would be a campus to a handful of data centers. Faced with the possibility of seeing Apple walk, the county changed tack, and offered it the entire park.

The entire article is worth checking out over here.

AppleInsider notes that the estimated shipping times for Apple’s Retina MacBook Pro are now down to 2-3 weeks.

Shipping times advertised at Apple’s online store for both models of the 15-inch Retina display MacBook Pro were shortened this week, and as of Friday, both the 2.3 gigahertz and 2.6 gigahertz models ship within two-to-three weeks.

The latest shipping estimate from the Apple Store is a slight improvement from the three-to-four weeks that were previously advertised. It’s also the shortest estimated shipping time seen since mid-June.

An interesting look at the “meaningful” work that goes on at Apple courtesy of this corporate recruiting video.

via 9to5Mac

The New York Post reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook showed up in Sun Valley, Idaho today for the annual Allen & Co. retreat. So why is this a big deal? Well the retreat is typically attended by media bigwigs and given all the rumors surrounding Apple’s foray into the Television business, Cook’s presence at the retreat is certainly worth noting.

Wearing a blue button-down shirt and jeans, he walked briskly past the photographer pit with Paul Sagan, chief executive of Akamai, the Internet content delivery service. Stopping by a cafe, the technology executives, deep in conversation, refueled on caffeine before settling into a table outside.

When asked what he was looking forward to at the conference, Mr. Cook smiled. “I’m looking forward to all the private discussions I’ve set up this week,” he said.

Would he have time for coffee with DealBook?

The polite Mr. Cook simply replied, “Probably not.”

Following the preliminary injunction handed down against Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus, it seems that Samsung is taking some preventive measures as it pertains to the Samsung Galaxy S III. Reports are coming in that Galaxy S III users on Sprint have received a “security update” to their devices that removes the universal search feature implemented by Android.

Translation? Now, the quick search bar on the Android homescreen will only fetch results from Google and will not scour for data on a user’s own device. For example, searching for Bon Jovi will only yield Google results and no listings for any Bon Jovi songs you might have on your phone.

via PC World

A few days ago we reported on how Apple had asked the Environmental Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) to remove its products from their list of green products. The impetus for the request was that as Apple’s products become thinner and thinner, they are simulatenously becoming less easy to recycle, and consequently, are running afoul of EPEAT guidelines.

EPEAT CEO Robert Frisbee explained that Apple’s “design direction was no longer consistent with the EPEAT requirements.”

Yesterday, Apple issued a statement to Jim Darlymple of The Loop explaining their position. In short, Apple argues that the EPEAT requirements are outdated and that Apple adheres to other, and in their view, more appropriate environmental standards.

“Apple takes a comprehensive approach to measuring our environmental impact and all of our products meet the strictest energy efficiency standards backed by the US government, Energy Star 5.2,” Apple rep Kristin Huguet explained. “We also lead the industry by reporting each product’s greenhouse gas emissions on our website, and Apple products are superior in other important environmental areas not measured by EPEAT, such as removal of toxic materials.”

Darlymple also points some interesting facts:

It’s important to note that in addition to not measuring toxins and other environmental areas, EPEAT also doesn’t measure smartphones or tablets. Clearly these are two areas that are vitally important for Apple and not covered by EPEAT.

Companies like Dell have 171 products listed on EPEAT, but yet if you look on Dell’s Web site, none of their computers are even Energy Star Compliant.

By its own admission, the EPEAT certifications are old.

via The Loop

Gottabemobile yesterday posted two photos purporting to be engineering samples of the iPhone 5, taken straight from a factory in China. As has been previously rumored, the photos below suggest a form factor that’s longer than the current iPhone 4S but maintaining the same width.

Apple’s iPhone 5 has been rumored to be coming with a metal back. While the engineering sample doesn’t provide any conclusive evidence of the iPhone 5’s backing, it does show that there could be two materials on the back of the iPhone 5.

The middle part could possibly be made of metal, possibly even Liquidmetal, while the top and bottom of the device could feature glass, plastic, or something else entirely.

Well it seems that iPhone users on AT&T will soon have another weapon at their disposal should they find themselves the victims of an iPhone theft.

According to The Verge, AT&T this week is planning to launch a new service that will enable users to block voice, data, and SMS access for a stolen device while not having to go through a full SIM block.

According to the guidance, AT&T will compile a “blocklist” of stolen devices and service will be automatically suspended “if any attempt is made to use a device that is stored in the blocklist.” The only way to add a device to the list will be by contacting a customer service representative directly, and users with remote data wipe apps will be required to activate them before suspending their device, to “prevent access to their personal information.”

The new security measure is set to take effect this coming Tuesday. The report also notes that AT&T will not be keeping a centralized directory of stolen devices, which is to say that the only way for a device to get unblocked is for the original person who blocked it to undo it.

Also note that AT&T’s new initiative is completely separate from yet another initiative undertaken jointly by the largest US carriers in conjunction with the FCC to create a database of stolen cellphones.

Last April, the USA Today reported that crime reduction was a major impetus behind the initiative.

Within six months, when Americans call their participating wireless provider and report their wireless devices stolen, their provider will block that device from being used again. This system will be rolling out globally using common databases across carriers over the next 18 months.

Smartphone and cellphone thefts made up 30% to 40% of all robberies in 2011 in major U.S. cities, accounting for as many as 27,000 thefts, police say. More than 40% of all robberies in New York City involve pricey phones. And thefts are on the rise in Washington, D.C., too, where 1,611 of last year’s 4,208 robberies (38%) involved them.

via The Verge

One of the more interesting places where the iPad has made some significant inroads has been in the world of sports. Indeed, there are no shortage of stories of NFL teams abandoning their thick playbooks in favor of the iPad. But this story is a little bit different.

Just about an hour ago, three-time NBA All Star point guard Deron Williams signed a 5-year, $98 million contract extension with the Brooklyn Nets. And believe it or not, he signed it on his iPad. I guess there really is an app for everything.

Notably, Williams, not one to shy away from social media, announced his intention to stay with the Nets via Twitter last week.

And below is the photo, linked to by Williams, showing him electronically signing on the dotted line.

And in the interest of full disclosure, Williams doesn’t appear to be an avowed Apple fan. Just a few days ago he updated his Twitter account using his Samsung Galaxy Attain 4G. Hmm, maybe he’s waiting for the iPhone 5. Though at the same time, there does appear to be an iPhone sitting on the table next to Deron in the photo above. I suppose with millions in the bank, having two smartphones ain’t no thang.

Still, two smartphones isn’t all that impressive when you consider that fellow Brooklyn Net DeShawn Stevenson has an ATM in his house that gets loaded up with $20,000 about once every two months. And if you ever find yourself chilling at Stevenson’s pad and happen to be in need of some cash, keep in mind that he charges a $4.50 transaction fee.